Only Time Would Tell
by missinsanity4098
Summary: My entry in the Cannonball Run at quarter mile using the prompt: "Brian gets adopted by Tanner, meets a young Dom Toretto" Basically a high school AU in the Fast and Furious universe with a heavy dose of angsty teen!Brian.


**Title: **Only Time Would Tell  
**For: **lord_spyridon  
**Author: **loves_music17  
**Characters/pairings: **Ted Tanner, Brian O'Conner, Dominic Toretto, Roman Pierce, Mia Toretto, Vince, Leon, Letty, Jesse, Papa Toretto  
**Rating: **Gen  
**Warning: **language, mentions of past abuse and child neglect, pre-slash if you squint  
**Size: **~17k  
**Summary: **My entry in the Cannonball Run at quarter_mile using the prompt: "Brian gets adopted by Tanner, meets a young Dom Toretto"  
**Author's Notes: **Basically a high school AU in the Fast and Furious universe with a heavy dose of angsty teen!Brian.

Since Ted Tanner was a little boy, he'd dreamed of being a police officer. He was one of the lucky ones who knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life and everything he did was to realize his goal. When he was a young teen, he kept his nose clean and steered clear of anyone known to be a troublemaker. He couldn't risk getting mixed up with the wrong crowd because it could jeopardize his future. It paid off though, because he was accepted into the Academy right out of high school. He made it his mission to be the best at everything they threw at him, which his trainers noticed as he continually passed every test with flying colors until he graduated at the top of his class. He quickly climbed the ranks of the LAPD, so that by the time he was 29 he was close to being promoted to Sergeant when most people his age were still paying off college debt and starting their own families. It wasn't that Ted didn't want a family; he'd just been too busy working to take the time to find someone to share his life with. Besides, it was dangerous being a police officer and he couldn't stand the thought of leaving a widowed wife alone to raise their child if he were to die in the line of duty. He thought it also made him a better police officer to not have anyone to go home to or share holidays with which he hoped his superiors noticed when it came time for his departmental assessment and panel interview in a few months for his promotion. Ted didn't realize his life was about to be turned upside down though, and potentially all of his hard work for a promotion ruined, by one Brian O'Conner.

While Ted was focusing on building a name for himself with the LAPD, Brian was growing up in Arizona with his mom and her slew of boyfriends. His dad had left before the ink had even dried on his birth certificate and his mom was the type of woman who didn't know how to function unless she was in a relationship. She didn't have the best taste in men either, most wanting nothing more than an easy lay and once they laid eyes on Brian they were quick to make their exit. The ones that stayed longer than a couple of weeks were usually moochers looking to cash in on his mom's welfare checks and most of them weren't too fond of Brian either. Brian had several scars from run-ins with his mom's boyfriends who took it upon themselves to show him who the boss was. Brian took to spending most of his time in the streets, hanging out with older kids in similar situations who let him drink and smoke with them. When Brian was 12 those older kids convinced him it would be fun to start boosting cars and Brian, who had always been fascinated with cars, went along with them. Brian felt alive when he was stealing cars, but more than that driving made him feel free from all of the problems a young kid shouldn't have to worry about in the first place. About a year later though, Brian got caught and the judge sentenced him to do two years in juvie. He met his best friend Roman "Rome" Pierce there, who'd been transferred from Barstow, California for repeatedly fighting with other kids in the detention center. They ended up being cell mates and fast friends. The two of them day dreamed about what they'd do when they got out. Their favorite fantasy was that they'd open up a garage together, even though neither of them had a dollar to their name. Rome actually got out early for good behavior unbelievably, but he was actually just really good at fooling people with his charm. Rome made Brian promise he'd find him in Barstow when he got out in four months, which Brian happily did since he had no intentions of staying with his mom. However, Brian hadn't known while he was serving his time his mom was losing a battle with lung cancer. She hadn't stayed in contact with him while he was in juvie and no one had thought to tell him what was going on until she died, two weeks before he was due to be released, and they let him out to go to her funeral. Brian cried, sure, but it was more for the fact that he'd essentially been abandoned now by both of his parents which hurt more than he would ever admit. Since he was a minor, the authorities took it upon themselves to locate any potential living relatives to place him with. That is when they discovered Brian's father was cousins with one Ted Tanner, who was the only relative left to take Brian in even though the man had no idea who Brian O'Conner was.

So when Ted received a phone call at work one Friday afternoon from a clearly overworked social worker trying to explain the situation Ted was thrown for a loop when he realized he was the only person keeping Brian from being put into the foster care system. He'd seen plenty of runaways in his line of work, and most of them were happy to live on the streets rather than stay in foster homes because of all the monsters they'd been placed with. Ted didn't even consider turning the kid away, or what it could mean for his career, before agreeing to meet the social worker at the bus stop the next day to pick up Brian. Apparently they were worried the kid was a flight risk since he'd seemed too insistent that he should take the bus ride to Los Angeles by himself. Ted arrived early the next evening to wait for the bus from Arizona to arrive, too nervous to stay at his house a second longer. He was anxious to meet Brian, this kid who was apparently related to him but in essence was a complete stranger. He was also not too proud to admit he was slightly terrified at the idea of raising a kid, especially one just released from a two year stint in juvie for boosting cars. He didn't have any experience with kids really beyond those he ran into on the streets or at crime scenes. He knew Brian was a teenager so it wasn't like he would need much looking after but clearly the kid needed some guidance in his life with his rough background. The social worker had mentioned something about Brian suffering from some abuse at the hands of his mom's boyfriends, which made Ted's blood boil. Nothing upset him more than people hurting defenseless kids.

After sitting for nearly two hours at the bus stop worrying about whether he made the right decision, the bus he was waiting for finally arrived and he stood up to go try to spot his new charge. It didn't take long to figure out since Ted guessed the kid being dragged off the bus by his upper arm by a short, tired-looking older woman must be Brian and the social worker assigned to delivering him. Ted approached them slowly, unconsciously using his police training to take his time to assess the situation while he was still unnoticed by the pair. Brian was tall for his age, with long legs and arms and a lean build, had dirty blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes Ted had ever seen. The kid also clearly did not appreciate the way he was being treated by the social worker, his body posture screaming "Get the Hell off me". His clothes were clearly second hand and ill-fitting, especially the shoes which were a battered pair of black Converse Chuck Taylors that Ted could see Brian's socks through. It looked like the only luggage they'd brought with them was the small backpack slung over Brian's shoulder and the briefcase in the woman's hand. He also noticed Brian's right hand kept creeping towards his jean pocket where Ted could see the outline of a pack of cigarettes, the kid was clearly itching for a smoke. Ted took all of this in, in the span of thirty seconds before he finally reached them to introduce himself.

"Hey, you must be Brian. I'm Ted Tanner, I'll be your new guardian," Ted said, making sure to smile as he put his hand out for Brian to shake.

Brian looked him up and down for a moment before he shrugged and gave the woman with a death grip on his arm a pointed look and said, "I thought you said this guy was a pig."

Ted felt his eyebrows shoot up to his hairline at the blunt statement as the social worker fixed Brian with a nasty glare and shook his arm as she said, "Brian O'Conner, that is no way to refer to Mr. Tanner. He is police officer and he deserves your respect. Now apologize young man."

Brian shook off her hand as he turned back to Ted to growl, "Yeah, whatever, sorry man. Can we just get this over with? I'm starvin'."

The social worker sighed in frustration at Brian's attitude but motioned Ted and Brian to follow her over to a nearby bench where she sat to open her briefcase to retrieve the adoption papers she'd mentioned on the phone. And with just a few signatures, Ted Tanner was the adoptive guardian of Brian O'Conner. The social worker didn't mince words as she threatened Brian to stay out of trouble because there were a lot worse places he could end up before she hurried onto the next bus leaving for Arizona, leaving the man and teenager awkwardly standing in the bus station unsure of what to do next. It was Brian who finally broke the silence, or rather his stomach, which grumbled loud enough for Ted to hear and wonder when was the last time the kid had eaten.

"Well, let's go get you something to eat, then. Anything in particular you want to eat?" Ted asked as he led Brian out to his car, an unmarked police cruiser.

Brian balked at the police vehicle but apparently his hunger won out because he clambered into the front seat without a word but he did reply to Ted's question, "As long as it's not mystery meat like they fed us in juvie I don't give a shit."

Ted thought about scolding the kid for his language but figured it wasn't worth the trouble at the moment. Instead he started towards home, deciding it was a good night to order pizza rather than force the two of them to sit through a meal in a restaurant their first night together. Brian was quiet the rest of the drive, content to watch the passing scenery out the window. Within twenty minutes Ted was pulling into his driveway at his house in Echo Park. It was a small place, with two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, and living room. He planned to be able to pay off the bank loan he'd used to buy it in the next few years and it was nice to know he would own his home, something not many people could afford these days. Sure, the neighborhood had its issues with gangs and drugs like most in LA, but Ted hadn't had many problems in the five years he'd been living in Echo Park. It was also beneficial being able to get tips from his neighbors about crime activity because they knew he was a cop and wanted to see the neighborhood lose its reputation for being a bad part of town.

Brian continued to stay silent all the way into the house and throughout the brief tour Ted gave him. When they came to the second bedroom, Ted apologized for the piles of paperwork and junk strewn around the room but promised first thing tomorrow they'd work on making it more comfortable for him since Ted hadn't had much time to prepare. Brian shrugged but still didn't say anything, so Ted led him back into the living room to grab the phone to order a pizza. He ordered just plain cheese since he didn't think Brian was going to be very helpful in making a decision with the way the kid was acting. When the food arrived a short while later, Ted and Brian ate with nothing but the noise from the TV to fill the silence between Ted struggled to come up with some way to strike up a conversation but he really didn't know anything about the kid other than he didn't care for cops. Brian didn't mind not talking, as he wolfed down over half the pizza by himself. It had been nearly 24 hours since he'd had anything to eat, the social worker being too busy to grab anything for him after she retrieved him from juvie. Ted finished three slices and watched in amazement as Brian put away more food than he'd ever seen another human eat. The pizza was finished in record time and Ted offered Brian first use of the bathroom to get ready for bed. It was only a little after nine but Brian didn't complain, which Ted figured was only due to how exhausted the kid clearly was. By the time Brian had showered, Ted had left a spare pair of pajamas on the toilet seat and put some sheets and blankets on the couch for Brian to use until they got his room cleaned up. When Ted came out of the shower he crept into the living room to check on Brian, suspicious of how quiet the kid was being, only to find him sprawled across the couch in the too big pajamas, lying on top of the blankets and softly snoring. Ted smiled at how cute the kid was when he was sleeping before going over to pull a blanket on top of him and turn off the light. As he settled into his own bed the man wondered what kind of challenges the next day as well as the future would bring them. Only time would tell.

When Ted awoke the next morning and walked through the living room to go use the bathroom, he nearly had a heart attack when he saw someone curled up under a pile of blankets on his couch with nothing but a tuft of blonde hair sticking out. Then he remembered the phone call, the bus station, and that he was now the guardian of a teenager named Brian O'Conner. It was going to take him a while to get used to the fact that he was responsible for a kid now. Brian didn't budge for another hour while Ted started preparing breakfast in the kitchen but when the smell of bacon wafted out into the living room it didn't take long for the kid to stir and come locate the source. It was still pretty early, only about eight, but Ted was used to being up early for work and Brian was used to having an early wakeup call in juvie. Ted had realized while he was cooking that he needed to get Brian enrolled in school as soon as possible so he didn't fall further behind than he likely already was since most juvenile detention centers aren't known for their stimulating curriculum. While Brian was polishing off his third plate of eggs and bacon, Ted made a call to the local high school, Belmont, to set up an appointment for the next afternoon. With that taken care of, Ted announced it was time to start cleaning out the spare bedroom. Brian still wasn't saying much more than a grunt or shrug of his shoulders, but Ted had noticed the kid's eyes betrayed how wary Brian was of him, as his blue eyes tracked the man's every move from under the fringe of his blonde hair. Ted could understand why Brian wouldn't be so willing to trust a strange man he'd just met, with his past relationships with male parental figures and all. Ted made it a point not to be too overbearing or make any sudden movements so as not to frighten the kid but he wished Brian would at least communicate with him a little. It was awkward as hell trying to keep up a one-sided conversation for an hour straight as they sorted through the debris of the second bedroom. Brian didn't do much actually, besides carry trash bags out to the curb, clearly bored and frustrated to be forced to help clean on a Sunday but yet he still didn't complain. Sure, he'd put on a show of disrespect yesterday in front of the social worker but Ted wondered how worried Brian really felt about how Ted would react if he stepped out of line. Of course Ted would never think of hitting a kid regardless of how bad they behave, he just didn't know how to put Brian's fears at ease. If he mentioned his observations directly to him, the kid would just pretend he didn't know what he was talking about most likely and it would put him even more on guard. Ted figured it was best to just play it by ear until the right time came up to discuss how things would be in regards to rules and punishments.

It took less time than Ted had planned to finish cleaning Brian's new room. By lunch time the paperwork had been put into a shredder, filed away, or thrown out and the random old junk had been put into boxes to be donated or thrown out as well. It took less than ten minutes for them to move the sheets and blankets from the couch to the bed and get Brian's few belongings put away considering all the kid had brought with him in his backpack was a change of clothes and some toiletries. Ted didn't want to embarrass Brian by asking why he didn't have anything more personal so he didn't say anything and instead asked Brian if he wanted to go grab a bite to eat. Brian agreed readily enough even if he didn't offer any suggestions for what they should eat. Ted decided he'd take Brian to a little hole-in-the-wall place called Toretto's nearby that made a pretty decent burger.

Ted had been coming to Toretto's for a few years, so he knew the man who ran the place, Mr. Toretto, especially since the man and his kids lived not that far from Ted in Echo Park. Toretto's wife had passed away about two years ago and the whole neighborhood showed up to her funeral, she was so well known and well loved by everyone around her. She'd died during childbirth, both her and the baby. Although it was a major blow to her husband and children, they were a strong family and seemed to be doing well. Although Mrs. Toretto had mostly ran the grocery before, since Mr. Toretto spent most of his time at the garage they also owned or at the race track where he drove, Ted noticed the kids, Dominic and Mia working more often nowadays. They were great kids it seemed, both as beautiful as their mom and hardworking like their dad.

Ted pulled up to the curb across the street from Toretto's and Brian quietly followed him into the small place to sit beside him at the bar. It didn't look like anyone was around at the moment but he figured it'd give Brian a chance to look over the menu. He noticed Brian wasn't really looking at the menu though, and instead he was flipping through a car magazine that must have been left on the counter.

Ted cleared his throat to get Brian's attention, "You really like cars, huh? The social worker told me you're not going to be able to get your license until your 18 because of what you did in Arizona. Why'd you do it; steal all of those cars, I mean?"

Brian's fist tightened on the countertop. Apparently that was a sore spot still. Ted hadn't meant to upset him but Brian would have to face the consequences of what he'd done. Ted just wanted to understand why a seemingly nice kid would go and steal cars for fun. When a minute had passed and Brian still hadn't responded Ted thought he wasn't going to ever get an answer but Brian surprised him.

"You probably won't understand, being a pi—cop, but when I'm behind the wheel of a car I'm in control, I'm unstoppable. No one can hurt me…I'm like ice. I just focus on getting from point A to point B as fast as possible, fuck everyone else. Plus, it's the one thing I'm good at, you know? It's like the cars are talking to me and I understand it. I don't feel that way about anything else in the world."

Ted sighed, "Brian, I was a kid myself not that long ago. I get it. It sounds like you've found your passion, but boosting cars is the wrong way to go about trying to follow it. Once you get settled in and start school maybe we can come up with a job that'll let you work on cars. If you get into any trouble though, start boosting cars again, then the deal's off. And I don't know if that lady that dropped you off was right about you wanting to run off, but I want you to promise me you won't try to skip town. We don't know each other at all, yet, but I'd like to get to know you. You seem like a good kid, Brian, and you're family. Maybe it doesn't feel like it to you, but I like to think there's all kinds of family."

Brian fidgeted at Ted's mention of running off, giving the man a guilty look from under the fringe of his bangs. Brian had been planning on leaving, constantly thinking about Rome waiting for him out in Barstow. Mr. Tanner hadn't done anything horrible so far, though, maybe he really meant all that getting to know you shit. Brian figured it wouldn't hurt to tell the man what he wanted to hear. If he ended up being a bastard like pretty much every adult Brian had ever met, then Brian would get out of town in the first car his eyes landed on.

"Yeah, whatever, I promise to stick around, as long as you hold up your end. I've always wanted to work in a garage." Brian wasn't able to keep the hope out of his voice.

Before Ted could to reply to that, the door leading into the stock room opened to reveal the older Toretto kid, Dominic, who must be a couple years older than Brian. The kid looked more like an adult than a teenager, with his huge frame and serious expression. Brian's head jerked up at the sound of the door slamming closed to lock eyes with the other boy. Dominic approached them on the other side of the bar, his brown eyes skipping right over Mr. Tanner who he'd known for years to take in the new guy the police officer had brought with him. He'd heard most of their conversation but he hadn't wanted to intrude so he waited for a better moment to enter.

"Hey, Mr. Tanner, how's it going?" Dom asked before jerking his head in Brian's direction, "You resorting to paying people to eat lunch with you now?"

Ted laughed at Dom's teasing before responding, "This is Brian O'Conner. Brian, this is Dominic Toretto, the son of the man who owns this place and a garage a few streets over."

Dom nodded as he said, "Yeah, you can call me Dom, and you should come check out the garage sometime if you want. I'm usually working there instead of here at the diner but my sister somehow convinced me to take her shift at the store today."

Brian tensed as Dom leaned against the counter across from them, wary of the other boy and unsure how much he'd heard. Dom was calm though, as he moved to shake Brian's hand. He was definitely interested in learning more about the kid, if he was half as much a car-head as he professed to be, Dom figured they might get along real well. Brian hesitated for a moment, looking to Mr. Tanner out of the corner of his eye as he shook Dom's hand. The guy had a good grip; Brian imagined he could rip him apart if he had the mind to do so. Best to stay on the older kid's good side then. Ted watched the boys interact with a small smile. Sure, he knew Dominic wasn't the best choice of friend for Brian, considering the kid's predilection for fast cars and crime, since the Toretto boy wasn't exactly an angel himself but he didn't mind Brian getting into a little trouble here and there. He was a teenager after all. He'd known the Torettos for a while, and had plenty of time to observe Dominic around the neighborhood over the years. The kid tended to attract the outcasts, but he was fiercely protective of anyone he considered 'his', and his friends were loyal to a fault when it came to their leader. Brian could certainly end up with a worse crowd than Dominic's, but Ted hoped he hadn't misjudged the older teen in thinking he would take Brian under his wing and look out for him. Brian likely hadn't had many people that truly cared about him before, judging from his devil-may-care attitude, so it would be good for him to see he's not all alone anymore.

After Dom and Brian finally let their hands drop, Dom was back to business as he asked Mr. Tanner if he'd like his usual and if Brian had decided what he wanted yet. Ted nodded since he always got a bacon burger when he came to Toretto's and he went ahead and ordered a bottle of Coke for both of them as well. Brian's eyes scanned the menu for the first time, before mumbling out his order.

"I'll have the tuna on white," luckily Dominic had better hearing than most otherwise the boy probably wouldn't have caught what Brian had said.

Dom arched an eyebrow at the kid's choice, but figured if he was from out of town he would have no way of knowing the tuna was shit. He didn't say anything though, just left to rustle up their food and let the kid learn the hard way. Ted was surprised himself at Brian's decision, but for different reasons. He knew full well Brian had ordered the cheapest item on the menu, even though Ted had told him before they left the house that he would buy lunch. Brian had eaten enough to feed a family of four when they ate at the house, so he found it odd that Brian only wanted a small sandwich. There hadn't been any prices attached to the food given to him at the house though, which might explain Brian's reluctance to order anything he thought would be too expensive. The kid probably thought Ted would make him pay it back later or something. As much as he dreaded the thought, Ted knew he would have to sit Brian down for that talk sooner rather than later.

It didn't take long for Dom to finish preparing their food, and he set the plates down in front of them with a dramatic flourish just to get a chuckle out of Brian. Mr. Tanner dug into his food eagerly, but paused after a minute when he realized Brian wasn't eating. He turned to see Brian meticulously cutting off every inch of crust from the bread, either not noticing or not caring that both Ted and Dom were watching him with twin looks of confusion. When Brian had all of the crust removed and placed in a pile on a napkin, he finally moved to start eating his sandwich. He didn't gag at the first bite like Dom had expected, or the second or the third. In fact, he looked like he was really enjoying it as he polished it off in less than two minutes. Dom was amazed, clearly Brian had a strong stomach if he could manage to not only eat the whole tuna sandwich but actually like what he'd ate. That was one crazy kid. Ted ate at a more sedate pace, of course, but since Brian was finished he asked if he could step outside to smoke while he waited. Ted didn't really want to encourage the kid's unhealthy habit but didn't want to argue about it at the moment so he agreed. Brian scampered outside and Dom retreated back into the storage room, leaving Ted alone to finish eating and think about what Brian had said about wanting to work in a garage. Just as Ted ate the last of his food, Dom strolled back out to retrieve the plates and an idea came to Ted suddenly.

"Hey, Dominic. You work at your dad's garage a lot. Think he could use another set of hands there part time?"

Dominic knew exactly what Mr. Tanner was thinking and found himself eager to get Brian into the garage to get a better feel for the kid so he replied, "Actually, we've been looking for someone to hire to help out. You're asking for Brian, right? Unless you're looking for a second job."

Ted laughed, "No, no I'm good but I think Brian would benefit from the responsibility and routine of a job. He seems to really love cars too and said he would like to work in a garage. How about I bring him by sometime soon and you or your dad can talk to him, test him, whatever you need to do? I've got to get him enrolled in Belmont tomorrow and hopefully he settles in quickly and can start working. He just got into town but you know what they say about idleness breeding discontent."

Dom snorted, "I guess. Yeah bring him by whenever and we'll see if he's got the chops for working on cars. So, he's going to be living with you now?"

Ted looked over his shoulder to check on Brian, who was leaning up against the truck with a cigarette burning in his hand, before turning to say, "Yeah, his mom just passed away in Arizona and I was asked to take him in. He seems like a decent kid, just had it rough growing up. I'm hoping he can make a new start here. I would sure appreciate it if you'd help me keep an eye on him. You're a good kid Dominic, otherwise I wouldn't be telling you this."

Dominic didn't respond at first, his face impassive as he processed that information, and his eyes were drawn towards the kid outside who was openly admiring Dom's car parked out front. Dom had built that car with his dad last year for his birthday. Brian seemed like good people, albeit with a giant chip on his shoulder, but Dom could identify with the pain of losing his mother. It had certainly changed him, and from what Mr. Tanner had told him it seemed like Brian had a lot more than his mom's death to be pissed about in life. It made Dom's protective instincts rear their head in a way that normally only happened with his family and lifelong friends.

"No need to ask, Mr. Tanner. I'll watch out for your crazy white boy," Dom said.

Mr. Tanner nodded, "Thank you Dominic. We should probably head home now, but I'll try to bring Brian by your dad's garage sometime next week. Hopefully you'll see each other at school soon though."

Dom watched Mr. Tanner walk out of the grocery and approach Brian who was turned away from the cop as he looked at Dom's car. When the man placed a hand on Brian's shoulder the other kid visibly flinched from the touch, making his guardian pull his hand back like he'd been burned. Dom shook his head at the sight as he turned to clean the counter to give the pair some privacy. Dom wasn't one to pry into other's personal life, but he was very intrigued by Brian O'Conner. The other kid seemed like a kindred spirit. He didn't think it would be a hardship for him to have Brian under his wing.

Outside, Ted led Brian back to his vehicle, neither of them willing to discuss Brian's reaction to being touched moments before. The teen was silent as Ted drove towards town where Ted planned to get Brian some new toiletries and clothes. Brian didn't complain outwardly but his body language clearly conveyed his discomfort and unwillingness to participate in the shopping trip. Ted felt awkward asking for Brian's sizes and preferences but the kid wasn't being very forthcoming with the information and so far they'd been at the mall for two hours with only a new pair of Chuck Taylors to show for it. It wasn't that Brian meant to be difficult but he had never had someone bring him clothes shopping with him before, all of his clothes were secondhand from thrift stores, and he had learned to live with just the basics in juvie where a new toothbrush cost more than he was able to afford with no one funding He'd really needed new Converse shoes so he hadn't had a problem with Ted getting those for him but every time the guy pointed out clothes or asked what he liked to wear Brian shifted uncomfortably and avoided the topic like the plague until Ted sighed and moved on to the next store. Eventually Ted gave up and started picking out clothes that looked like they would fit the kid and similar to what he was wearing just to speed the process up. By the time they left it was after six and both of them were exhausted as they trudged back out to Ted's car with their purchases. When they made it back to Ted's house, Brian silently took all of his new clothes and toiletries into his bedroom to put them away. While he was doing that, Ted started preparing dinner for them. After about half an hour Ted had the spaghetti ready and on the table to be served but Brian still hadn't emerged from his room. Worried, Ted went to check on the kid. He knocked on the door to the second bedroom but didn't receive an answer. He waited a few moments, straining to listen to what was going on inside when he heard a sniffle like Brian was crying. Ted's first thought was to barge in there to see what was wrong but he imagined that wouldn't go over well with the teenager. He decided to gently knock on the door again and try to talk to him from outside.

"Brian, you okay? Dinner's ready," Ted said.

"Okay, sir. Ju-just give me a minute. I'm…uh putting away my stuff still," Brian was clearly trying to sound normal but Ted could hear the tremor in his voice.

Ted sighed, "Brian…can I come in? I think we need to talk."

Brian hiccupped like he was trying to keep in sobs, which just freaked Ted out even more but he didn't want to walk in without Brian's permission. After a minute he could hear Brian moving inside the bedroom and then the door was opened the barest crack to reveal Brian's reddened eyes and blotchy face but Ted could tell he'd tried to wipe all the tears away before he answered.

"Why don't you let me in Brian? Or you can come out here and we can talk."

Brian ran a hand through his hair, obviously a nervous habit, before he slowly pulled the door open enough to allow Ted inside. The man quickly slipped inside and saw that everything he'd brought Brian was laid out on the bed rather than put away. Ted was confused since he didn't know what could have upset the kid so much. It was just some clothes. Brian stood behind him by the door, fidgeting with the hem of his threadbare T-shirt rather than looking at Ted. Ted waited patiently for Brian to look up and explain what was bothering him.

When the kid finally did look up, he was fighting tears again as he croaked out, "I'm sorry Mr. Tanner. It's just…I guess I got kinda overwhelmed, you know? I've never had new clothes for school before. And there's so much, I don't know how I'll ever pay you back for it all. I promise I will though, sir."

Ted felt his own eyes tighten with tears at the kid's admission. He moved towards Brian to wrap an arm around his shoulders and pull him against his chest. Brian struggled at first, unsure what Ted was doing but then he sank into the embrace, one of the only hugs he'd ever experienced. Brian rested his forehead against Ted's shoulder, still tense but grateful for the comfort. Ted kept one arm around the kid and used the other hand to rub his back soothingly.

"It's alright, Brian, don't worry about it. This is what adults are supposed to do, provide for their kids. I know I'm not your real dad but I still want to take care of you," Ted murmured into Brian's hair.

Brian shook his head, "But why? You don't even know me. No one wanted me—"

Ted interrupted, "I want you Brian. And I'd love to get to know you, if you'd let me."

"What if you don't like me when you get to know me, sir?" Brian whispered brokenly.

Ted shushed him, "Not going to happen, kid. You might think you're a bad guy but I can tell you've got a good heart, you were just surrounded by people who wanted to bring you down."

Brian didn't respond to that, but he thought of his mom who never cared if he succeeded, her boyfriends who tried to make him think he was worthless, and the older kids he hung out with who just wanted him to be as miserable as they were. None of them cared about him, so Brian had thought he must not be a good person if no one cared, but maybe they were the ones not worth caring for. Ted cared, and they'd only just met, so he must see something in Brian. They stood in the middle of Brian's new room for a while longer, Brian soaking up Ted's comfort and belief like a sponge. Finally, Brian lifted his head to look at Ted and his eyes were still red-rimmed but he was smiling so Ted figured he must be feeling better. Then Brian's stomach growled loudly, making both of them laugh, and they headed out to the kitchen to salvage dinner.

The next day, Ted and Brian headed to Belmont to enroll the teen in school. Since Brian had been out of regular school for two years while he was serving time, they wanted Brian to complete aptitude tests for nearly every subject as well as have him talk to the counselor. Brian was frustrated with the hoops the school officials expected him to jump through, but didn't want to disappoint Ted so he completed every test they threw at him and tried to answer the counselor's questions even though he really didn't care to talk to the man. They finished after about five hours and Brian felt his cool slipping as he sat in the principal's office with Mr. Tanner waiting to hear Brian's fate. His foot jiggled nervously and Brian craved a cigarette more than ever. He could already imagine what the principal was going to tell them, Brian was too dumb and would need to be held back, not to mention he was a criminal with serious issues. When the man finally entered the room, Brian was ready to bolt but Ted must have sensed his unease because he put a calming hand on Brian's shoulder that helped ground the teen. They listened to the results from Brian's tests and the report from the counselor, the principal clearly surprised to announce Brian had showed average proficiency in every subject except math which he could be tutored in. The counselor had suggested they have Brian attend weekly sessions to discuss his past and time in juvie, but that Brian didn't seem like a danger to himself or anyone else. Ted hadn't been surprised when Brian only squirmed uncomfortably at the mention of weekly guidance sessions but remained silent. The kid still wasn't able to object to something he considered an order from male adults, which was worrisome but Ted planned to speak privately to Brian about that and maybe mention it to the guidance counselor. With that, Brian was cleared to start classes the next day. Brian couldn't believe it; he'd thought for sure he'd be behind in every subject. He had never been good at school before. He walked out of the school with Ted in shock. Ted could tell he hadn't expected such good results and was quick to reassure the kid.

"You doubted yourself too much, kid. I knew you had to be more than just a grease monkey," Ted teased.

Brian laughed, "Yeah, I guess so."

The pair drove home, talking and joking with each other the whole way. When they got back, Ted surprised Brian when he pulled him out to the garage and showed him the barely used mechanic's toolbox in the corner which Ted said Brian could probably get more use out of than him. The teen was touched by the gesture, even though it was obvious Ted had no clue what the difference was between a monkey wrench and a socket wrench, because he'd tied a bow around the toolbox before they left and that meant he'd believed Brian would pass the tests at the school. If that wasn't enough, Ted promised Brian he would take him to the Toretto garage the coming weekend to ask for a job since he'd done so well. Brian couldn't keep the grin off his face at that news, so pumped to work on cars like he'd dreamed of doing. Ted was just glad the kid was happy. Hopefully Mr. Toretto wouldn't mind having a kid with a record working at his business, though. He'd hate to have gotten Brian's hopes up for nothing. They returned to the house and settled in the living room to watch TV until Ted started making dinner for them. They continued talking throughout dinner, Brian relaxing more and more around the man. When they finished, Brian hurried to get up and take the dishes to the sink. Ted tried to tell him he didn't need to wash them but Brian insisted.

"It's alright, Mr. Tanner. I want to do them. The cook shouldn't clean, I think."

"Well, I can't argue with that logic," Ted said with a fond smile.

So Brian washed the dishes that night, and started a tradition that he would hold onto for the rest of his life. When he finished he joined Ted to catch the end of whatever action movie was on TV before they both headed to bed. Brian would never admit it, but he was a little excited to start high school the next day. His last thought before he fell asleep was that he wondered if he would run into Dom at school. Brian wasn't as eager to start the day the next morning when Ted came in to wake him up to get ready. Brian was on autopilot as he showered and got dressed in his new clothes. By the time he entered the kitchen Ted had a heaping breakfast plate ready for him along with a brown bag lunch. Brian chuckled at Mr. Tanner's eagerness although he was secretly thrilled that the man was putting in so much effort just for him. Once they finished breakfast, it was time for Brian to head to the bus stop down the street since Ted was driving the opposite way for work. As Brian waited for the bus, three of the most amazing cars he'd ever seen zoomed past him, one of them Brian recognized from when he'd admired it outside the Toretto store the other day. He watched them go by and locked eyes with Dom for a brief second, the older teen nodding in acknowledgment. Not long after the bus pulled up and Brian started his journey to his first day at Belmont High.

As far as first days go, it wasn't as bad as it could have been but Brian felt like an alien visiting from another planet most of the time. As much as kids liked to complain that high school was just like a prison, Brian could attest to the fact that it was far from it and he had no clue how to act. In juvie everything had been boiled down to a routine that Brian could set a clock to, not to mention that everyone knew their place whether they were an inmate or a guard. Here, there were scheduled classes but no one to make sure you attended, and it seemed like kids were running the show most of the time. He found himself missing the assurance of orders and structure in his day, and unable to interact with his peers because their drama and problems were beyond trivial compared to some of the shit he'd seen go down in juvie. By lunch he was more than ready to leave, until he saw Dom sitting across the lunch room with his friends. Brian didn't want to seem like a freak by just going up to the older guy but that didn't keep his eyes from continuously looking over towards Dom the entire lunch hour. It didn't go unnoticed either since Dom had caught Brian staring a few times but played it cool. He was about to go invite the kid to sit with them when Vince had to go and open his big mouth as usual.

"Hey, Buster! What the Hell you looking at? See something you like, queer?" Vince yelled across the cafeteria, gaining every student in ear shot's attention as he'd intended.

Brian's face flushed red as a tomato and several kids giggled at his embarrassment. Vince smirked cruelly, always happy to pick on younger kids, but he didn't see the thunderous expression on his best friend's face. Before Dom could say anything though, Brian was on his feet heading directly towards Vince and them. V wasn't paying attention of course, too busy making eyes at Dom's sister Mia who was chatting with some girl friends a few seats down. Dom subtly moved away from Vince as Brian came up next to the cocky brunette and decked him. Vince flew off his seat to spill out into the aisle but was on his feet in a heartbeat, fists flying as he came after the new kid. Brian and Vince wrestled each other to the floor, exchanging blows, and Dom watched the pair in amusement until Letty nudged him to point out the teacher approaching the circle of kids that had formed around the fight. Dom moved swiftly, pulling Vince and Brian apart just as the teacher pushed through the tight cluster of onlookers.

"What is going on here? Were you boys fighting?" the teacher shrieked as she looked at Dom dusting Vince off, who still had his hand fisted in Brian's shirt.

Vince let go of Brian in an instant and Brian moved to stand up since he'd been pushed onto the table when Dom separated them. Dom cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention.

"Not at all, Mrs. K. I was just helping Vince and the new guy, Brian, up since they slipped on some water on the floor," Dom said with a charming smile.

The teacher arched an eyebrow at the three boys, "That's Mrs. Kline to you, Mr. Toretto, and why do I have a hard time believing that story? Mr. O'Conner, would you please tell me what happened here?"

Brian shrugged as he said, "That's really what happened, ma'am. Luckily Dom was here to help us out."

The teacher looked like she wanted to explode. Obviously they'd lied to her but she couldn't do a damn thing about it unless someone admitted to the fight. With a frustrated huff she spun on her heel and barked at the lingering students to get to class before she primly exited the lunch room. Dom, Vince, and Brian watched her go before Vince ducked away from Dom and shot Brian a scathing glare.

"Beat it Buster, you're lucky Kline came along otherwise I would have given you the ass beating you deserve. You better not snitch either."

Dom put a hand on Vince's chest, "Cool it, Vince, or I'll beat your ass. The 'Buster' isn't going to say anything, right Brian?"

Brian sneered, "I'm no rat."

"Good, now play nice kids. Vince, man, let's head to class. I can't afford to be late to English again and neither can you. Brian, I'll see you around. You're still gonna come by the garage sometime, yeah?" Dom asked.

"Woah, wait, this asshole is trying to get a job at your dad's garage? Nice try, Buster, but don't bother. We don't need the help," Vince cut in rudely.

Dom growled, "You better watch yourself V, otherwise you'll find yourself out of a job. And if anyone is being the asshole here, it's you. Now, come on."

With that Dom walked off, confident that Vince would follow, and the other teen did after he gave Brian a halfhearted shove to get past him. Brian rolled his eyes, not believing anyone could be that much of a dick to someone he'd just met. He trudged towards his next class as well, remedial math, just wanting to get through the rest of the day. As the last bell of the day rang, Brian sent up a silent prayer of thanks as he rushed out of the classroom. It was a madhouse trying to get through the mob of students equally ready to get out of school. By the time Brian made it to his bus he was exhausted, and he was practically a zombie when he got off at his stop in Echo Park. He made it to the front stoop where he plopped down to fish his cigarettes out of his new backpack for a much needed smoke. When Ted pulled into the driveway, Brian had already smoked three cigarettes without realizing it. Ted came up to the front door with a smile until he saw Brian's split lip.

"What happened? It was your first day, who gets in a fight on their first day?" Ted asked rhetorically.

Brian stood up to let Mr. Tanner pass him so the man could unlock the front door since Brian didn't have a key yet. That's why the cop was home so early from the precinct. Once they were inside with the door closed behind them, Ted rounded on Brian to demand how he'd gotten beat up. Brian misinterpreted the look on the man's face though and shrank away, expecting to be hit. Ted saw the reaction and felt sick.

"Brian, did you think I was going to hit you?" Ted asked seriously.

Brian ducked his head and wrapped an arm around his middle in self-comfort, "Why wouldn't you? I fucked up, you're mad, that's what happens."

Ted sighed, "No, Brian, it's not. Come on, have a seat on the couch. I've been meaning to talk to you about some stuff and now seems like a good a time as any."

Brian shuffled over to the couch to squeeze into a corner while Ted sat on the other end. Ted took a few moments to try to figure out how he should say what he wanted to say. He turned to Brian to find the kid chewing his thumbnail to shreds and winced when he saw a drop of blood well up. He couldn't stand to watch it so he moved to take Brian's hand away from his mouth. When Brian didn't move to take his hand back, Ted decided to just continue holding it loosely, not knowing if it was to soothe Brian or himself.

"Okay, here goes nothing. I don't want to embarrass you or anything Brian, but I think it's important we talk about this now before it gets any more out of hand. First off, I know you didn't have the best childhood. I read your file: negligent mother, abusive men in the home—"

At the mention of abuse Brian visibly blanched and tried to pull away but Ted tightened his grip, not enough to bruise but enough to let Brian know he wouldn't be able to leave.

"Hey, now, listen, I'm sorry to bring this stuff up but you have to understand. I. Am. Not. Them. I would never hurt you like that, no matter what you did. Got it? Things are going to be different here, I promise."

Brian was giving him a look from under the curtain of his hair that screamed "I've heard that before" but Ted plowed on regardless of Brian's disbelief. He knew this would take time. The kid wouldn't just start blindly trusting him overnight but they had to start somewhere.

"Alright, so I'm going to give you the ground rules for living here and I want you to pay attention. Under no circumstances will I ever physically or emotionally hurt you as a punishment. If you break a rule I'll ground you, maybe not allow you to do something. That's it.

Moving on, no more of this sir or Mr. Tanner stuff, either. You can call me Ted. That doesn't mean you shouldn't respect your elders but I'm fine with you calling me Ted. Now, the first rule I'm issuing to you is that you can tell me if something is bothering you or say if you disagree with me. I'm your guardian, but I care about what you think and want too. I've noticed you have a hard time speaking up for yourself against me or other adults, even complaining about stuff. Not saying I want you to start complaining about everything but you're a teenager for God's sake, a bit of whining is expected, or so I've been told."

Brian cracked a small smile at Ted's attempt at a joke but otherwise didn't react to what Ted was telling him. Ted decided to just continue with the rest of the rules.

"Second, you will have a curfew: nine on school nights, eleven on weekends. If you end up getting a job with Mr. Toretto, that should give you plenty of time to finish there and get home. I also want you to have all of your homework completed before curfew, just so you're not starting any bad habits in regards to school. Speaking of school, you being able to keep a job is dependent on if you keep your grades up. I don't think that should be too much for you to handle. Another thing, the smoking has to stop. I can't condone a minor smoking. The cussing I can…deal with, to some extent, but not smoking.

And the last one, for now at least, is that you stay out of trouble. I mean it, Brian, because even though I'm a cop that doesn't mean I'll let you off the hook if you start boosting cars or anything else like that. Are we clear? I'm gonna need a verbal response."

Brian moved to take his hand away again and Ted allowed it even though he thought the contact was good. The teen pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, still not looking at Ted. Eventually, though, he raised his head to meet Ted's gaze with his own piercing blue eyes.

He took in a shuddering breath before he said, "I understand, si- Ted. I promised you I wouldn't run away, although I didn't entirely mean it. I mean it now when I say I'll stick around and I'll try to stay out of trouble. I think your rules are pretty fair, by the way. The only place I ever had rules was juvie, and strangely enough I find myself missing it—the rules, not juvie, I mean."

Ted chuckled as he joked, "All kids crave boundaries, its right there in the baby books, Brian."

He noticed Brian's split lip again and had to say something.

"So, mind telling me how you got that?" Ted said, indicating Brian's lip.

Brian flippantly replied, "Some asshole at school was running his mouth about me. He didn't think I'd do anything about it so I showed him otherwise."

"Brian, Brian, Brian…do I even need to explain the flaws in that logic?" Ted asked.

"I get it, alright? Not the smartest move, but I couldn't afford to let shit like that fly in juvie. Old habits die hard, yeah?"

Ted groaned, "I can already tell you're going to be the death of me. How about this, next time he or anyone else says something, think of that feeling you described to me you get when you drive. You remember what you told me, right? You said when you drove you felt like ice; no one could hurt you because you were in control. That's how you've got to be when dumb kids start bothering you. If you keep your emotions in check, they're going to see they can't affect you and move on to weaker targets. Does that make sense, ice-man?"

Brian laughed, "Actually, it totally does. I'd never thought of it that way."

Ted ruffled Brian's hair affectionately, "See, us cops aren't so bad. The Academy taught me a lot about human behavior that's come in handy. Now you can benefit from it as well."

"Ugh, don't push it, man," Brian said.

They went their separate ways after that, Brian to do his homework and Ted to write up reports for cases he didn't get to finish at work. Around seven they shared dinner and Brian insisted on doing the dishes again since Ted had cooked.

The rest of the week flew by for Brian, much more smoothly than his first day as well. The next time he ran into Vince, the guy's eye was still bruised from their scuffle, which amused Brian immensely. The older teen didn't try to start anything else though, probably only due to Dom's influence. Brian tried to be less obvious about watching Dom, but he couldn't help his curiosity concerning the older teen, especially since Dom seemed equally intrigued by him. The day after his fight with Vince, Dom had approached Brian at the beginning of lunch to invite him to sit with him and his friends. Brian hoped he hadn't sounded too eager when he agreed but judging by Dom's amused eyes, he'd failed somewhat. Vince was obviously livid that the 'Buster' was sharing space with them but didn't do more than put up a token resistance. Brian got to know Dom and the others more that week, coming to be very envious of their close friendship. Dom and Vince had known each other since third grade and Letty joined their team not long after when she proved she could handle herself around a garage as well as Dom could. Dom's other friend, Leon, had transferred to Belmont in junior high with his younger brother Jesse who was in middle school himself now. Dom's younger sister Mia was in the same grade as Brian but they didn't have any classes together since she was taking honors and AP courses. She didn't sit with her brother often either, but Brian still felt like he knew her through her brother who was clearly proud of his baby sister. They were all so close-knit, loyal friends. The only person Brian had ever felt that close to was Rome. He learned a lot about them, but he was most interested in Dom. The more Brian got to know him the more he realized how much they had in common. Dom had admitted to his own brushes with the law due to his illegal street racing hobby, the fact that he'd lost his mother a couple years before, and that driving was one of the only things that kept him going in life. Brian found himself telling Dom things he'd never told anyone except Rome and was glad when Dom didn't look at him with pity or sympathy, just acceptance of his past. When Brian was around Dom, it was like the older teen had his own gravity field that pulled him in. He couldn't deny Dom anything, but he didn't think Dom would ever misuse his trust because he didn't seem like the type of person to do that. From what Brian had seen, Dom was the leader of his little team and didn't allow anyone to mess with them.

Dom had started picking Brian up in the mornings to drive him to school and dropping him off afterwards too. Dom's car was a dream come true to Brian, he'd only boosted a few cars as nice as it in Arizona. They spent the drives talking shop mostly, Dom going over what they were working on in his dad's garage with Brian piping in with suggestions and ideas. Dom didn't let it show, but he was impressed with the kid's knowledge of cars.

Then, the weekend finally arrived and Brian gathered the courage Saturday morning to remind Ted about his promise to take him to the Toretto garage. Ted didn't fight him about it, to Brian's surprise, and by noon they were pulling up to the shop where Dom and his dad stood to greet them. Brian and Dom slapped hands in greeting while the adults shook hands before Mr. Toretto turned to Brian, all business.

"So, Brian, my son and Mr. Tanner here tell me you're a carhead of the worst kind looking for a job. You think you've got what it takes to work in a real garage?" Mr. Toretto said.

Brian gulped, "Y-yes, sir. If you give me a chance I won't let you down."

Mr. Toretto maintained his serious expression for only a few more moments before he cracked up laughing and pulled Brian into a bear hug which left Brian breathless. Dom was huge enough and his dad was gigantic in compariso

Mr. Toretto released Brian but kept his hands on his shoulders as he exclaimed, "I'm just giving you a hard time, son. Dom has told me so much about you I feel like I have a second son!"

Dom shot his dad an embarrassed look, his eyes begging his father to stop talking but Brian felt a burst of pride that Dom had even mentioned him to his dad.

"From what Dom says you could give him a run for his money as a mechanic. I could really use another set of hands here, too. I don't get to race at the tracks as much as I'd like to when I'm working here most of the time and let me tell you, the tracks bring in a lot more money than this garage—when I win, of course, which I usually do."

Mr. Tanner and Mr. Toretto shared a laugh while Dom and Brian rolled their eyes at the adults. When Mr. Toretto turned back to Brian he was still smiling.

"Okay, Brian, let's head inside and see what you can do. Tanner, you're welcome to stay but Brian is fine to hang out here until we close if that's alright with you."

Ted said, "If it's all the same, I'll just run and do some errands and swing by around eight to pick Brian up. Cars aren't really my forte, I just drive them."

They all shared another laugh before saying good-bye and Ted watched Brian disappear into the garage with the Torettos. Inside, Brian was taken on a tour of the shop first, awed at all of the amazing equipment available and the cars currently being worked on. Once Brian was familiar with the place, Mr. Toretto put him right to work alongside Dom. They were elbows deep in an engine for the rest of the day and Brian hadn't been so happy in a long time. Dom could tell Brian was really enjoying himself, which made him happy too for some unknown reason. Mr. Toretto watched his son and the O'Conner boy off and on throughout the day, amazed at how well they interacted. The pair had clear chemistry, like they were long lost friends. He'd known within five minutes of meeting the kid that he would hire Brian, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to get one free day of work out of the kid. Plus, it was nice to see his son so carefree; Dom had become much more reserved since his mom's death.

Ted came by around closing time like he'd promised to pick Brian up, even though it was only a few blocks to walk home from the garage. Brian had a few smudges of grease on him from work, even on his forehead which made Ted smile. He said goodbye to the Torettos before clambering into the car and Ted pulled away. Brian rambled for the next thirty minutes about what he'd done at the garage, most of it going straight over Ted's head but the man was more than happy to listen, especially when Brian excitedly told him Mr. Toretto had given him the job. Brian would start coming to work after school with Dom as well as the weekends. Ted was relieved Brian had gotten the job, since he'd felt obliged to tell the other man about Brian's history of stealing cars. Apparently it hadn't bothered Mr. Toretto like he'd been worried it would. Ted was also secretly hoping an after school job would help keep Brian busy enough to stay out of trouble. As they ate dinner that night Brian was still riding his high from working at the garage with Dom, he hardly paid attention to what he was eating. After he'd finished the dishes and started towards his room, Ted reminded him to make sure to finish his weekend homework before curfew because he knew Brian was too giddy to remember.

That night Brian laid awake for hours going over the day again and again in his head, hardly able to stand the thought he would have to wait until after school on Monday to go back to DT Garage and work with Dom again. He'd never dreamed his life could be this good before. It was around two in the morning when Brian heard the shrill ring of the phone from the living room. He knew Ted had gone to bed near midnight so he got up to go see who was calling. He hesitated to answer the phone, not knowing if Ted would mind but figured he'd rather not be woken up so Brian snatched the phone out of the cradle to answer. The voice on the other end of the line surprised the Hell out of him, for sure.

"Brian? Is that you, cuz?" Rome asked.

"Rome? Holy shit, man! How'd you get this number?" Brian whispered, hoping not to wake Ted.

Rome crowed in triumph before he replied, "Your homeboy Rome has his ways, man. When you didn't find me in Barstow after your release date I knew something had to be up. I made some calls, amazing what pretending to be a cop can get you, and ended up chatting up some hot sounding secretary at the social services office who told me some guy in LA had been given guardianship of you. She said your mom had died while you were on the inside. I'm sorry, Bri."

Brian frowned, "Forget about it. Not like she cared enough to let me know she was dying from cancer, you know? Besides, the guy they put me with…he's, uh, he's been real good to me."

"Well, that's good, cuz. But, hey, I've got a plan to get you out Brian. I was calling to make sure I had the right place, first, though," Rome said.

Brian was quick to respond, "No, man, it's cool, really dawg. I kind of promised Te—Mr. Tanner I wouldn't bounce. Give it a chance and all. Besides, we both know how good your planning skills are, Rome."

Rome was silent for a moment and Brian thought he'd lost his friend until Rome spoke, "Brian, are you serious right now? You want to stay with some stranger rather than come chill with me in Barstow?"

Brian sighed, "It's not like that, come on, man. I'd love to see you but I can't afford to get caught boosting again to get to Barstow."

"That's the thing, Brian, I was going to nick my uncle's car to come spring you from that guy's place. No harm, no foul," Rome said.

"Nah, man, you could get in trouble if we get caught. Just…give me some time, I'll figure something out so we can see each other. I'm sure Mr. Tanner wouldn't mind if you spent a weekend here sometime."

Rome huffed through the phone to show his annoyance, "Yo, don't play me, man. I get it, you moved up to LA with some pig, I bet he's got a real nice crib, and now you're too good for your boy Rome. Whatever, cuz, figures you'd pussy out."

Brian came close to yelling when he replied, "You're talking out of your ass, cuz. You act like I'm ditching you when I'm just trying to tell you I'm happy for once, God dammit."

A pregnant pause stretched across the phone lines while both guys calmed down. Brian was the first to speak.

"Look, Rome, I appreciate all the effort. It means more than you know that you tracked me down. If I'd been in a sticky situation it would be different, but that's not the case, man. This guy actually gives a shit about me, brother. I told you about my mom and…and her boyfriends. I've never had an adult that cares whether I come home at night, if I eat, if I'm upset—"

Brian stopped when he started to choke up but Rome started talking before he could continue anyway.

"Yo, Bri, I'm sorry. It's cool, we're good. I didn't know cuz," Rome said, aware his friend was on the verge of tears and uncomfortable with the knowledge. Brian was usually the calm one after all.

Brian ran a hand through his hair and blew out a calming breath before he spoke, "Thanks, Rome. I really do want to hang out, you know? Let's just wait 'til we can get you here legally."

Brian had to keep himself from laughing at how similar he sounded to Ted when he said that. Rome grudgingly agreed that was the smarter option, though. They chatted for a few more minutes, Rome regaling Brian with tales of what he'd been up to after he was released from juvie. If Rome was telling the truth, it sounded like he was getting so much tail he wouldn't have had time to ever come rescue Brian. A sound from down the hall reminded Brian it was late and he was trying not to wake Ted, or get in trouble if he wasn't supposed to be using the phone. Little did Brian know, Ted had woken up at the sound of the phone ringing and been unable to keep himself from listening to Brian's side of the conversation. He wasn't proud of it but he was worried Brian had been trying to go behind his back and do something bad. Ted should have trusted his instincts though, that told him Brian was above all that now. Brian quickly exchanged good-byes with Rome before placing the phone back in its cradle and turning to creep back to bed only to stop dead when Ted entered the room rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Brian, did I hear the phone ring?" Ted asked before pretending to yawn.

Brian replied in a tone he hoped didn't betray his panic, "Uh, well, yeah, bu-but it was a wrong number."

Ted nodded, already turning to go back to bed but said over his shoulder, "Alright. Thanks for answering the phone. You know if you wanted to use the phone you don't need to ask. I don't care if you call your friends or something. As long as you're not racking up a giant phone bill or anything, that is."

Brian sagged with relief when Ted retreated to his bedroom, unsure if Ted knew he had lied to him and given him permission to talk to Rome anyway or if Brian was just paranoid. Either way, Brian was glad Ted was so cool with him using the phone. Brian went back to his own bedroom and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The next few months were like a blur. The saying about time flying when you're having fun was truer than many thought. Brian was doing well in school, even math after Mia started tutoring him, he was making a steady pay check at the garage working with Dom, and he finally felt at home for the first time in his life living with Ted. His bedroom was now littered with posters of high end cars and car parts he took home from the shop to work on, he had a surfboard Ted had gotten him for a birthday present that Brian put to good use on his days off, and an extra sleeping bag in his closet for when Rome came to visit once a month. Ted and Brian had spent a lot of time getting to know each other too and were as comfortable together as a real father and son should be. Dom and Brian were practically inseparable—a fact that chafed Vince's ego to no end—to the point that if anyone was looking for one of them all they had to do was find the other one since they were almost always hanging out together. Something else that happened was that Dom told the blonde his dad thought it wouldn't be a problem if they started letting Brian test drive the finished cars for the garage out at the race track where Mr. Toretto raced. Ted was skeptical at first but decided it would be better to let Brian stretch his wings behind the wheel of a car on an enclosed course rather than risk Brian feeling the need to drive on the streets before he got his license. The kid was sixteen after all and had more than proved he was responsible. Brian always came back from the test drives at the track beaming like a kid on Christmas and positively glowing, especially when Dom raced against him and Ted wouldn't take that joy away from Brian for anything in the world. Ted himself couldn't deny making the decision to let Brian live with him was one of the best he'd ever made. The guys at the precinct could all tell he was happier too, so no one could begrudge Ted gushing about the kid like a new parent.

Things were going so well for Ted and Brian but, to quote another common saying, all good things must come to an end. It all started when Brian overheard Dom and Letty discussing something called Race Wars at the garage one day. Of course, Brian was all ears for anything concerning cars or racing but didn't want to interrupt them to ask about it. Unable to contain his eagerness to find out what they were talking about for very long, Brian cornered Dom while they were closing up the shop. Dom reluctantly explained to the blonde that is was a weekend of legal racing out in the desert that every serious racer attended and it was coming up in a couple weeks. Dom knew that Brian didn't have his license and wasn't legally allowed to drive, let alone race, which was why he'd tried to keep any mention of Race Wars out of the younger kid's earshot. He knew Brian would want to go, what gearhead wouldn't, but the protective part of Dom wanted to keep Brian away from that temptation. When he saw the look in Brian's impossibly blue eyes, pleading to let him go, Dom caved and promised he'd find a way to get Brian there. Brian was so excited he lunged at the bigger teen to wrap him in a hug, surprising Dom since Brian was notorious for shying away from physical contact. Dom hesitated for a second before chuckling and returning the hug. If anyone were to happen upon them in that moment they might get the impression that the two were much more than friends. Perhaps they were much closer than most teenage boys but they were so comfortable around one another it was hard to see their bond as strange or not normal.

After that night, Brian's every waking moment was devoted to thoughts about Race Wars. He was practically unbearable to be around since all he wanted to talk about was the upcoming event, but his enthusiasm was so adorable it was almost catching. Brian made sure that Ted was unaware of anything Race Wars related, figuring the man wouldn't allow him to go if he mentioned it. So, when the weekend of Race Wars finally came Brian convinced Ted he was staying over at Dom's for a couple nights to work on a project with Mia for school. He felt like an asshole for lying but he was dying to drive out in the open for the first time in years so he pushed all of his guilt to the back of his mind. Friday night Brian shared dinner with the Torettos and Mr. Toretto offered to let him stay the night but Brian told him he would head home after Dom and he watched a movie since Dom was leaving the next day for Race Wars. Mr. Toretto went to bed none the wiser that Brian did not go home and that later that night Brian and Dom snuck out to meet up with the rest of the team to form a convoy out to the desert. They left a note for Mr. Toretto that said Dom was heading out of town early for Race Wars but made no mention of Brian coming with him. When they finally arrived at the event, there were already hundreds of racers there partying and showing off their rides. Dom's team pulled into their designated area before heading out together to scope out the competition and get some food. They also managed to get their hands on some Coronas with Letty's fake ID and good looks. They ended up spending most of the night chatting with a Hispanic teen named Hector and his crew from LA who were camping next to them. The next day, the races got underway quickly and soon enough Dom's name was known by most of the other racers after he beat everyone who challenged him. Letty did pretty well for herself as well, though she said it was more of a reward to teach the guys who thought just because she was a chick she couldn't race a lesson. Leon and Vince only raced a few people, happy to watch the others, but they won the races they did enter. Brian was ready to race every single person there, but Dom kept telling him to wait for the right time. It frustrated Brian to no end but he trusted Dom enough to listen and wait. He ended up spending a lot of time with Jesse as they watched the others smoke every driver they came across. The kid might be the youngest in their group but his knowledge of cars far surpassed Brian's own. Jesse was a real car genius, but his overexcited personality and tendency to space out kept most people from taking him seriously Brian came to realize. While most would probably have been upset to be stuck hanging out with some middle schooler, Brian actually found himself enjoying the kid's company and like all of Dom's other friends he soon came to view Jesse as the little brother he never had. Brian didn't race that first day, but by the end of the night he understood why Dom had asked him to wait. He'd thought he was ready to drive but Brian realized his head hadn't been in the right place due to his impatience to get behind the wheel again. He felt confident Dom would let him drive the next day, because he felt calmer and hopefully Dom would notice. Sure enough, early the next morning Dom pulled him away from the others to slip him the keys to his own car.

Brian was surprised, having thought he would drive one of the others' cars, and said, "Really? You trust me to drive your car, Dom?"

Dom smiled as he said, "Of course, Bri. You're as good a driver as me, we both know it, now's your chance to show everyone else."

Brian nodded, as he internally promised not to let Dom down. He slipped the keys into his pocket before the two boys went to join the others to wait until Brian's race time. When it was finally Brian's turn, the blonde's face was like stone—or more accurately ice—as he pulled up to the starting line. Dom and the rest of the team along with Hector watched from the sidelines. Vince sidled up next to Dom, snickering.

"You didn't tell the Buster that you were the only one crazy enough to hand your keys over to him, did you? Hope you weren't too attached to that car, man."

Dom gave his friend a sidelong look as he replied, "No, V, I didn't. You best keep your mouth shut too, otherwise I might just tell him about the time you wrecked my dad's prized race car when I lent it to you for prom last year."

Vince paled and got surprisingly quiet as Dom knew he would since Vince still got shit from the elder Toretto for that incident. All Dom had to do was mention it to get Vince shaking in his boots in remembered fear of Mr. Toretto's wrath. Dom smirked at the brunette's discomfort before returning his attention to Brian who was waiting for the green light.

Brian won his race, of course, almost two car lengths ahead of his competitor at the finish line. He'd been nervous about messing up in front of Dom and the others, wrecking the car, and everything else that could go wrong but as soon as his foot hit the gas all his worries disappeared until it was just him and the car, merged for the short amount of time it took him to get from start to finish. It was just like he remembered from his time boosting cars. He felt in control, untouchable, he was the Ice-Man. Except it was a million times better driving Dom's car rather than some boosted car, because he knew Dom believed in him enough to let him drive. It wasn't just Brian in this race; he was racing for the other teen too and that somehow made Brian feel safer as well as surer of his victory. When Brian passed the finish line he was tempted to just keep going until he'd left everything in his life behind, but he knew Dom was waiting for him and that thought prompted him to turn around and head back to real life. He exited the car to be greeted by a fierce hug from Dom. The rest of the team minus Vince turned it into a group hug that left Brian feeling smothered with their love and support in a good way. Brian raced several more times that day, proud when the other racers started taking notice of him just as much as they had Dom. Both teens were approached several times for rematches on the streets back in LA but Brian wasn't stupid, he knew he'd never get away with that while Ted was a cop. Dom was clearly intrigued though, and Brian would be more than glad to watch him win at the street races if he could convince Dom to let him come.

Brian's victory high was smashed to smithereens on the way home from Race Wars when Dom's car was pulled over by a police cruiser on the highway. Brian was sweating bullets as the cop approached them, the cop's headlights keeping the man's face obscured until he was at the driver's window shining a light in on Brian and Dom.

"Evening boys, I'm guessing you're Dominic Toretto and Brian O'Conner, right? The car matches the description I was given, anyway" the cop said, eliciting a nod from the teens, "Half the LAPD is out looking for you O'Conner. Tanner thought you'd split."

Brian hung his head, apparently Ted had found out he wasn't at the Toretto house. They were so close to getting away with it though, only twenty minutes away from Echo Park. Just his luck, Brian figured. The cop told them he was going to follow them back to Tanner's place, just to make sure Brian made it home, and that he'd call Ted on the way to let the man know they were coming. The next twenty minutes were some of the longest in Brian's entire life. Dom didn't say much, feeling horrible for betraying Mr. Tanner's trust in him by letting Brian come to Race Wars without permission. It was a stupid decision, even though nothing bad had happened it very easily could have and that would have been on Dom. Brian spent the ride imagining every possible punishment Ted could have waiting for him back at the house. He couldn't help but remember all the times he'd been punished by his mom's old boyfriends, no matter if he'd actually done what he'd been accused of or how insignificant the infraction was. He'd not only lied to Ted, but drove illegally and made the man think he ran away. Surely a stunt like he'd pulled deserved a beating worse than what any of those assholes had given him. He completely forgot Ted's promise to never punish him physically, too scared to think straight. By the time the cruiser pulled up to Ted's house to escort Brian from Dom's car to the front door, the younger teen was scrunched up in his seat so tightly he was practically curled up in a ball. Dom worried about Brian's behavior but didn't know what he could say to calm him down. Brian was obviously worried about his guardian's reaction. Dom knew Mr. Tanner would never hurt Brian, and he hoped after living with the man for a while Brian knew it too. The look on his face as the cop frog marched Brian towards the house told the older teen otherwise though. Dom wanted nothing more than to follow Brian into the house but he knew he wouldn't be welcome, probably not for a long time since Mr. Tanner would have a hard time trusting him again. So, Dom drove home to find his own father standing on the front porch waiting for him. Dom could tell from the way his dad was standing that he knew what his son had done and was not too happy about it. The man waited until they were inside to start lecturing him, in his loud, in your face Italian way that would freak most people out if they heard it. Mia was upstairs doing her homework, music turned up to drown out the noise. She knew their dad just didn't know how to talk without yelling when he was angry; it was how they all were. In fact, their mother had been even worse when she was alive. It'd calm down shortly and then their dad would hug Dom and tell him that he loved him before doling out his punishment. Mia couldn't help but be happy that Dom was getting in trouble because most likely that meant he'd have to work at the grocery extra while he was grounded and that meant Mia wouldn't have to work there as much. However, she did feel a bit bad for inadvertently getting Dom's friend Brian in trouble. If Ted hadn't come into the grocery he probably wouldn't have realized Brian had lied about working with her on a school project that weekend.

Back at the Tanner household, Brian was standing in the middle of the living room as he waited for Ted to finish thanking the officer who'd brought him home and instruct the other man to call off the search. Brian had chewed every single one of his fingernails until they were nothing but bloody nubs as he paced anxiously. When Ted finally closed the front door and turned his attention to Brian, the man was madder than a hornet and ready to tear Brian a new one, figuratively. He was so embarrassed that he'd freaked out about Brian's absence so much that he called in every available officer to look for the kid and most likely ruined any chance of a promotion when his higher ups got wind of his unauthorized misuse of police man hours.

"Sit down, Brian," Ted barked as he walked to stand in front of the couch once Brian reluctantly sat, not even looking at Brian as he started agitatedly pacing in front of him.

"You wanna know how I caught you, huh? You had me completely fooled, I'll admit, pulled the wool right over my eyes. When I stopped by the Toretto grocery store yesterday to get some lunch, though, Mia was there. Imagine my surprise when I asked why she wasn't at home working on your supposed school project with you and she had no clue what I was talking about! She hadn't seen you since Friday when you came for dinner, in fact. I don't think it was an overreaction on my part to assume you'd run away, with your past behavior. Of course, I hoped and prayed you were just goofing off with Dominic and those other punks at the garage or something, but Mia said she'd seen her brother's car leave in the middle of the night and hadn't seen him all weekend. That's when I decided you must have paid your friend to drive you God knows where. After all, when I came home to check your room I saw you'd taken a few changes of clothes and your side of the bathroom sink was bare.

I was pissed Brian, pissed that you'd leave like that—like a coward—but more than that I was scared beyond belief that you'd get in trouble or get hurt and I wouldn't be there to help you. I thought we'd come a long way in our communication, but I spent hours wracking my brain trying to figure out what I did to drive you away. It wasn't until I went to talk to Mr. Toretto to see if he had any idea where you'd run off to that he informed me Dom was going to some Race Battle thing outside the city and we figured out you must have lied to both of us. Turns out, you were just out having the time of your life breaking the law with complete disregard to others. I guess it was stupid of me to believe you'd changed. Do you have anything to say for yourself, Brian? I hope you had fun driving out there this weekend because it's the last time you'll be anywhere near a car besides riding in mine for quite a while."

Ted was panting by the time he'd finished berating Brian, not giving himself a chance to catch his breath to make sure he said what he wanted to say before the kid cut in with some pitiful excuse or something, but the effort had been in vain because Brian had no intention of interrupting. That only made things worse in the past he'd discovered the hard way. Brian had moved as far away from Ted as possible while still sitting on the couch as instructed, watching the man's every move like he was a snake about to strike out at Brian. He had his body tucked into the corner of the couch in a way that would protect his vital organs if Ted were to lash out, but was poised to flee if need be. After a couple minutes of Ted irritably awaiting a response from the teen and none seeming to be forthcoming, Ted lost his patience and moved to snap his fingers in Brian's downturned face to get the kid's attention. To his shock, Brian cowered away from his hand with a frightened cry like he was anticipating a punch.

"Please, sir, I'm sorry! It was stupid, so stupid. I'm sorry, just please don't hit me, sir," Brian sounded terrified, and it chilled Ted to the bone to realize he'd done that to the kid, his kid.

Ted sank to his knees in front of where Brian was trembling on the couch, desperately wanting to reach out to comfort Brian but afraid he would make it worse if he were to touch him. He tried to make his voice as soft and nonthreatening as possible to calm Brian down and bring him back from whatever horrible memories were most likely playing out in his head.

"Oh, Brian, please don't be scared. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. You're alright, you're safe, I promise. Will you look at me, please, please I need you to look at me, Brian."

Brian slowly forced himself to look up the man, surprised to see it was Ted looking at him and not one of the horrible men from his past like he'd expected to find. Had Ted hurt him? No, he looked like he was about to cry, though. Brian remembered Ted being angry at him, starting to raise his voice, and then Brian expected pain but he realized he was fine.

"Hey, there, are you with me, Brian? I know I scared you, I'm sorry. Is it alright if I sit next to you? I promise I won't touch you unless you want me to, Brian," Ted quietly implored.

Brian still looked a little wild-eyed as he shakily nodded his head. Ted inched onto the couch, careful not to move too fast or accidently touch the teen. He sat there for several minutes in painful silence, but Ted didn't dare move.

Brian looked and sounded lost when he looked over at the man and said, "Ted?"

Ted just barely kept himself from jerking in surprise, instead looking Brian in the eye before replying, "Yeah, Brian, it's me. You know where you're at right?"

"Your house in Echo Park. I-I didn't mean to freak out, sir. Sorry," Brian mumbled.

Ted was quick to protest, "No, no, I'm the one that needs to be apologizing. I wasn't thinking…I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, especially while I was angry. I'm sorry, Brian. I was so scared you'd left, and then I turned around and started screaming at you the second you're home safe."

"You didn't hurt me, though. I fucked up, majorly. You should have…taught me a lesson. I deserve it," Brian shuddered as he said the last half, clearly reciting something he'd heard countless times before.

Ted shook his head, "Brian, no, that's what I tried to explain to you months ago. Kids mess up, sure, but that doesn't give any adult the right to hurt them, no matter what."

Brian looked up hopefully at Ted as he said, "Even though I was driving illegally, and I lied to you, and pissed you off?"

Ted sighed, "Yes, Brian, even after all that. It doesn't mean I'm not disappointed in you for thinking you couldn't ask me about this Race thing, but nothing you can ever do would result in me harming you. You're safe, Brian, I promise. I know others have hurt you before, but not here, not now. If anyone does hurt you, I want to be the first person you tell, got it?"

Brian nodded jerkily, fighting back tears. Ted wasn't expecting Brian to spring across the couch to hug him, but Ted didn't complain as he wrapped his arms around the teen in a tight embrace. Brian was almost in Ted's lap as he held onto the man like a lifeline in a storm.

"I'm just so glad you're home safe. How about we save the rest of our talk for tomorrow, yeah? I'm exhausted, you must be too," Ted spoke into the top of Brian's head since the teen had his head wedged underneath Ted's chin.

Brian reluctantly moved away from the man with the bare hint of a smile on his face, "Does that mean I'm not grounded, then?"

Ted frowned as he said, "Don't push it, kid. You're so, so grounded. And you can forget about working at Mr. Toretto's for a while."

Brian scowled, "That's not fair! That's my job! Mr. Toretto needs my help!"

Ted was taken aback at first, due to the fact that it was the first time Brian had openly complained about an order from Ted.

"Sorry, Brian, but I'm sure he can manage without you for a few weeks. Now, let's go to bed," Ted said as he rose from the couch with Brian begrudgingly following him.

Brian took being grounded well enough, despite his initial protest. Ted was honestly looking forward to the end of Brian's punishment just as much as the teen, since he hadn't considered how tiring it was having a bored teenager cooped up in the house most of the day. If Ted's police vehicle happened to need worked on while Brian was grounded so that Brian had an excuse to use Ted's old tools out in the garage, it was only because Ted was secretly soft for the kid and had nothing to do with the fact that he couldn't stand to spend another evening listening to Brian talk about cars.

Ted ended up getting his promotion despite his recent misstep when he thought Brian had run away. The panel that interviewed questioned him directly about the incident, worried his new guardianship might distract from the duties of a Sergeant. Ted had been prepared for the question and had his response all planned out. He would say that Brian living with him was not a distraction from his job and nothing had changed really from before the teen came to live with him, but right as he opened his mouth to say it he suddenly knew it would be a lie to make such a claim. What he ended up saying instead was something he'd once told Brian even though he hadn't fully understood it himself at the time.

"There's all kinds of family, sir," Ted said.

The man who'd asked the question was clearly confused by his response as he asked, "What do you mean by that Officer Tanner?"

"I mean, I chose Brian to be a part of my family, just like I chose to be a part of the LAPD family. Every family, even if it's not in blood, has its difficulties and problems but that bond will always be there. And my family, all parts of it, makes me a better person."

The panel seemed to appreciate his answer, as they nodded and hummed in approval. Ted was promoted to Sergeant, and rather than start worrying about what he would need to do to pave the way for his promotion to Lieutenant like he would have before Brian entered his life, Ted went home to a surprise cake Brian had made for his promotion. Brian had no way of knowing he'd gotten the promotion, and his faith in Ted had the man reduced to a blubbering mess in the middle of their kitchen.

Once Brian was ungrounded he was back to spending most of his time with Dom at the garage. The older teen had already apologized for his hand in getting Brian in trouble to both Ted and Brian, but it was water under the bridge in no time at all. Ted wasn't really upset about them going to race, even though it was illegal for Brian to be driving, he was more concerned about Brian and Dom lying. He knew they were teenagers though, with a distinct lack of forethought at their age, so he didn't hold it against them for long. Besides, Dom seemed to be good for Brian with the exception that Brian had the older boy wrapped around his finger, although others would say it was Dom that called all the shots between them just because Brian was so eager to follow him. Ted wondered from time to time how not only his life, but Brian's and even Dom's lives might have been different had they not been brought together when they were, and how they would change now. Only time would tell.


End file.
